cleaning pads during use

[MAXBKS]

Hello Mike

Just getting started on detailing with da polisher and only have one pad of each phase.
Seen the video on cleaning pads when you are done but not sure about like when you are part way
thru your project.
Do you dry clean it with just the brush or can you wash it out and continue to use it
a little wet. Love the info on here and can't wait to get started. Still waiting for all my supplies I just ordered.

Thanks, Max

[DBAILEY]

Don't use the pads wet with the DA. They will get hot in the center quickly due to the moisture and cause pad failure. You can maybe do 3-4 panels with 1 pad if you are really cleaning the pad face with a brush and a towel well, but you have to worry about heat building up in that over worked pad as it gets more and more saturated with polish. Then a proper cleaning is warranted. You can press the pad in between 2 towels and then spin the pad on the DA, with a drill or a rotary polisher to get the pad as dry as possible. However, you will still need to allow some time for the inside of the pad to dry out. So schedule your work breaks around that.

[Dereksdtail]

Onr and mf towel, turn the polisher on speed 4, I usually do that after every panel or section


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[rmagnus]

Max welcome to detailing.
You are going to need more pads.
Try different pads to see what you like. Also depends on the polisher you use.
I use i pad per panel and clean each after the panels use. Saves time and eliminates cleaning a bunch of pads at the same time.
There are many ways to clean the pads. I like compressed air the best for foam pads but a toothbrush does a good job, just spin up the pad and lightly run the brush across the pad.

[MAXBKS]

yea, rmagnus, after a lot of reading I had come to realize that I would need more pads since it sounds like sometimes they don't hold together all that well and you can only clean a couple panels before they need to be cleaned. This is getting kinda pricey to get started compared to when I tried bar claying a couple years ago. Hope the results of detailing make me as happy as the results of bar claying.

[rmagnus]

yea, rmagnus, after a lot of reading I had come to realize that I would need more pads since it sounds like sometimes they don't hold together all that well and you can only clean a couple panels before they need to be cleaned. This is getting kinda pricey to get started compared to when I tried bar claying a couple years ago. Hope the results of detailing make me as happy as the results of bar claying.

Pads actually last quite a while but many factors come into play. The quickest way to kill a pad is over heat it by using too much speed and pressure and perhaps not enough product. You can start out with 2-3 pads for compounding and polishing and 1 for wax application. It really depends on what you need. What polisher do you plan to use?

[Mike Phillips]

Hello Mike

Just getting started on detailing with da polisher and only have one pad of each phase.

Seen the video on cleaning pads when you are done but not sure about like when you are part way thru your project.

Do you dry clean it with just the brush or can you wash it out and continue to use it a little wet.

Love the info on here and can't wait to get started. Still waiting for all my supplies I just ordered.

Thanks, Max

Hi Max,

Great questions.

I would have wrote what DBAILEY wrote below but probably would have been more long winded.

Don't use the pads wet with the DA. They will get hot in the center quickly due to the moisture and cause pad failure.

You can maybe do 3-4 panels with 1 pad if you are really cleaning the pad face with a brush and a towel well, but you have to worry about heat building up in that over worked pad as it gets more and more saturated with polish.

Then a proper cleaning is warranted. You can press the pad in between 2 towels and then spin the pad on the DA, with a drill or a rotary polisher to get the pad as dry as possible. However, you will still need to allow some time for the inside of the pad to dry out. So schedule your work breaks around that.

Big Picture

Foam pads buff best when dry. Pad saturation is a PROBLEM. This is especially true when doing any correction work or when using a AIO or cleaner/wax.

If you look at most of my write-ups, I ALWAYS show a picture of how many pads I used for any given project. I do this to try to teach others that buffing out a car fast and being efficient at removing defects means using lots of pads. Turning out pro quality results fast also means having lots of pads.


Let your budget be your guide.

Also - when you switch to a clean dry pad often your pads will last longer. When you buff and buff and buff with one or two pads you PUNISH the pads and they simply give up the ghost sooner than later.


None of the above is true with microfiber pads, just foam.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's some topical threads with great pictures.... (showing pads used)

How many pads do I need to buff out my car?

How many pads do I need to buff out a 1948 Willys Jeepster?

[Mike Phillips]

A few more...



Look at the number of pads used for a cleaner/wax in this thread,

1965 Cadillac - Original Single Stage Paint - Slam job by Mike Phillips




Look at the number of pads used in for this old 2-door Plymouth

How to use Griot's Garage to detail your car - A detail job Richard Griot would be proud of!





For everyone that will read this into the future - every time I share one of my detail jobs - pay attention to the pictures. I always show how many pads I used plus most of the other tools and products.

[MAXBKS]

Pads actually last quite a while but many factors come into play. The quickest way to kill a pad is over heat it by using too much speed and pressure and perhaps not enough product. You can start out with 2-3 pads for compounding and polishing and 1 for wax application. It really depends on what you need. What polisher do you plan to use?

Porter Cable 7424XP I'm going to get 3 more pads each of compound and polishing before I start anything. Thanks
When you scroll to the bottom of this thread there is a list of similar threads. Cleaning pads on the fly is what I was looking for. Dbailey and Dereksdetail had it right just didn't quite understand till video's and pic's
Thanks everyone